In The News
New institute offers hope to HIV patients in Africa
October 20, 2004: Winnipeg Free Press, By Dan Lett: A new training and treatment institute in Uganda, founded by Winnipeg researcher Dr. Allan Ronald, is bringing new hope to HIV/AIDS patients in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) has just opened a $5 millionUS facility in Kampala for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, and training of physicians to administer and manage antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
Ronald, a professor at the University of Manitoba and one of the founders of the university's renowned HIV/AIDS research project in Kenya, said the facility will treat more than 300 patients a day while providing leading-edge training to doctors, nurses and other health care professionals on the administration of ARVs.
The institute hopes to double its current caseload of 3,000 patients, he added.
The widespread administration of ARVs has been a controversial subject in developing countries. The cost is often out of the reach of many governments, and there have been concerns about whether patients in developing countries and their physicians can properly manage the complex combination of medications necessary to keep HIV in check.
Although the new facility creates greater capacity, Ronald said he is still struggling to secure donations of costly ARVs. As it stands, only 1,000 of the 4,000 patients being treated at the institute are able to obtain a full course of ARVs, Ronald said.
"Our mandate states that we are not allowed to turn anyone away," said Ronald. "It's going to be difficult. We really need more drug donations."
The IDI was first established three years ago in partnership with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc., which contributed $15 million toward the construction, staffing and equipment for the new facility. The institute offered services out of a makeshift clinic at Mulago hospital in Kampala.
Even with less-than-suitable facilities, Ronald said the institute has been able to train more than 250 health care physicians from 13 countries in Africa.
Now complete, the new building was constructed at the site of the medical school at Makerere University in Kampala.
